I'ma the be the one you know
I'ma the be the angel to your snow
I'ma the be the sea you saw
I'ma the be the pepper to your salt.
--
A pregnant silence, which blossomed into a sickening one filled Dr. Addy's office, sending a nervous energy to its occupants.
The only sound that was heard came from her too sparkly pink laptop, a serious look on her perfectly made-up face, making Chimdi a nervous wreck.
Dr. Addy paid zero attention to them as she typed away, making Chimdi wonder why the older woman called them on a bright Monday morning.
She didn't even get the chance to play catch-up with her friends, before a teacher whisked she and TJ to the older woman's office.
Chimdi felt her sweaty hands, her heart a thudding mess.
Why am I so nervous?
She queried, sparing a glance TJ's way.
He looked at ease, eyes darting around the office, a relaxed smile on his face.
Chimdi groaned internally.
Why am I the only one nervous?
She looked at TJ again and he sent her a cute grin, making her heart do weird things.
It's been like that ever since yesterday evening. After her cryscapades, they'd taken more pictures of happy kids, with TJ always offering her a smile. At first, it was weird, and when she asked him to stop smiling, he'd replied her with: "I dunno, I can't seem to stop smiling either. Maybe it's just you."
With that, she kept quiet, avoiding looking at his face, cos just a peek made her heart take to an off tune route and she didn't like it.
Then, they'd ordered takeouts from a sea food eatery, went back to her mother's house to select the pictures. After which they watched few episodes of The Witcher, TJ's idea.
And had fallen asleep in the sitting room, with the still in motion movie, watching them.
Dr. Addy's cell phone dinged, bringing Chimdi out of her reverie. She watched the lady's face light up as she glanced at her phone, before acknowledging them.
Finally!
"Tasie jnr. Gentry! How was your weekend?" Dr. Addy asked, a little too chirpy, eyes glinting with mischief.
Chimdi felt her heart thud.
Did she know we spent the weekend ?
But we didn't do anything wrong.
Oh please, he saw you on barely there clothing. Her subconscious mind taunted.
She felt her face heat up and cleared her throat.
She smiled at the older lady. "It was okay ma."
Dr. Addy raised a brow at TJ who flashed her a smile.
"Same too." TJ replied, making the older lady nod before clearing her throat.
"I'm glad. Back to why I called you two, we might have a problem." The older Lady continued. Chimdi felt herself tensing up.
What now?
"Your cinematography Teacher said that, you two can't get new partners-" she tried to sound sorry, but her eyes said another thing.
She continued, "It's been a month since groups were shared. It will make some lag behind. So... you two are stuck together."
Chimdi nodded. "Okay." She let out a sigh of relief. One she didn't know she'd holding.
"Okay? Gentry, I thought you wanted a new partner what changed?"
He saw me cry and held my hands. Okay that sounds cheesy.
"Um...I guess he's cool." Dr. Addy raised a brow.
Chimdi looked at TJ, giving him a sign to help her out, but he looked away, a smile tugging at his lips.
Sly bastard.
"We are cool now." She cleared her throat.
The older lady nodded.
Her eyes rested on TJ and a smile spread on her perfectly made up face, the duo looked confused.
"Alright. I'm glad you two set aside your differences. Now leave, you have a class to attend in-" She glanced at her cell phone. "thirty minutes."
Just like that? Chimdi thought, standing up.
She didn't even ask TJ anything.
"Bye ma." They both said in unison while the woman made shooing gestures with her hands, and they were out.
"So, I'm cool?" TJ asked, once they were outside Dr. Addy's office.
"So you do speak?" Came Chimdi's reply, as they made their way to where the clique usually waited.
She was still angry at him for throwing her under the bus earlier. Well, he didn't really betray her. But he put her in an awkward position.
"You don't answer a question with a question." TJ teased, walking side by side with her. Chimdi huffed, but kept silent.
"So, you've not answered me, you think I'm cool? I mean, I know I am, I just was surprised you noticed." he teased, making Chimdi roll her eyes.
Cocky much.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, you know that's not what I meant."
TJ bumped her shoulder, a teasing look on his face.
"But you still think I'm cool." He stopped her, turning her to face him. Wiggling his brows suggestively. "Hmmn?"
Chimdi tried to suppress her smile, but he was behaving like a child.
He's basically still a child. Her subconscious mind said, and she couldn't agree less.
"We have thirty minutes Kodiri. Let's be fast." She continued walking, with him trailing behind.
"Just say it. You know I'm cool." He continued, almost whining.
What is his deal?
She ignored him, walking faster. But of course, he caught up with her. She couldn't help the smile on her face.
"Just say it and I'll stop pestering you." TJ was in her front, walking backwards.
So you know you are pestering me.
Chimdi stopped walking, folded her hands before glaring at the smiling boy and clearly amused at his childish behavior.
She was surprised at the new side he was displaying. She never imagined him to be silly.
"Alright fine. Jeez!"
TJ smiled, while she playfully rolled her eyes.
"You're cool. Now can we hurry the fuck up?"
He gave her a mock bow. "Why, thank you. Aside being cool," he wiggled his brows again, imitating her position. "What else did you notice?"
Chimdi hissed, fighting the smile tugging at her lips and continued walking.
This caused TJ to crack up as he joined her in stride, while they walked to where the clique waited.
"Did you two just smile at each other?" Nene whispered, as the duo walked to where they stood. "This is a miracle." She continued, face in utter shock, drawing everybody's attention.
Chimdi kept a straight face "What?"
They stared back at her, with TJ smiling cheekily behind her, the scene before him, totally amusing.
"What's up?" Jiki asked him, while they exchanged weird handshakes.
"I'm good. At least, I didn't get myself killed." He joked, earning a swat from Chimdi.
"Hey!" He pouted. "You still hit me after calling me cool, that's unfair."
"She called you cool? Pigs will fly." Lara chipped, hugging Chimdi who whispered "Don't mind him."
"For real. She told Dr. Addy that I'm cool." TJ continued, avoiding a swat from Chimdi.
"No broken legs? What the hell did you feed this little vixen?" Elo asked, dramatically checking for injuries on TJ's body.
TJ rolled his eyes, before smacking Elo on the head. "Ouch! This is what I get for praying for you?" The shorter boy glared at TJ, causing everyone to crack up. "Nah me cause am." Elo pouted, rubbing his stinging head.
"So, no more biffing? It's high time you two grew the fuck up." Jiki said, hugging Chimdi, who rolled her eyes playfully.
"We weren't biffing."
"Yeah, yeah, you've been besties all these while. How was the shoot?" He draped his hand around her shoulder, totally ignoring Elo and TJ's bickering.
Chimdi glanced at TJ, before facing Jiki. "It was okay. I guess."
Jiki raised a brow. "You guess? Was it that bad?"
"Not really, it was normal and by the way, I met a south African and a Russian."who tried to abuse me. But of course, she kept that part to herself.
"You are going places."Jiki teased, causing her to jab his shoulder.
"God woman! Stop being violent." He held his shoulder, easing the slight pain.
Chimdi stuck out her tongue. "You deserve it!"
A sudden movement startled everyone, just for them to see Abike, locking TJ in an embrace. A shocked TJ stared at them, totally helpless -- which caused them to snicker, sharing knowing looks.
"You should have been there TJ, the pain would have been less." Abike cheesed, earning a hiss from Nene and an eye roll from Chimdi.
The rest snickered, watching TJ give her an awkward nod.
"But I'm okay!" Abike proudly announced, still clinging to TJ. "You'll follow me next time right? I still have one more to pull out. I think. Oh my God!" She winced. "It hurts like a bitch."
TJ stared in horror, as Abike waited for his response.
"Umm, that would be..." The school bell rang, signalling that classes were about to commence.
He let out a relieved sigh as Jiki dragged him out of Abike's grasp.
Saved by the bell.
--
TJ made himself comfortable on the vacant seat beside Chimdi.
The class was getting rowdy as students followed Corp Ofose's instruction to seat with their partners in his class.
Chimdi tried to keep a straight face but felt TJ's gaze on her. Since he sat beside her, she'd avoided his gaze and refused to acknowledge his presence.
He nudged her with his foot, vying for her attention. But she faced front, keeping a straight face -- her game getting strong.
She heard the boy sigh before he faced the board. She heard herself sigh too.
What is wrong with me? She asked herself for the nth time.
She was acting and feeling all funny around him. Where went her confidence.
She couldn't even look him square in the face without getting annoying images in her head.
And she'd been noticing slight things about him.
She noticed how his right eye twitched whenever he was in the mood to joke around. How his legs doesn't stay still, literally. He always tapped them. And his eyes, they weren't completely black. And oh, he had really long lashes.
Really Gentry? Her subconscious mind mocked. And she sighed again, leaning on her plastic desk.
She put her phone on silent as the overly cheerful Teacher cleared his throat. Phones weren't allowed in classroom areas. Students were extra careful.
"We are getting to the bigger deal." Corp Ofose said cheerfully, rubbing his hands together eagerly. And making the students agog with excitement.
"Who has ever flown a drone before?" The students gasped out in shock and wonder.
All but, TJ who rolled his eyes.
"I guess that's a good enough answer. Get ready to fly a drone." He declared, beaming at them. "That's, if you pay attention..." and with that, he grabbed the eager minds of 45 students.
Everyone listened with rapt attention. Of course, they wanted to fly a drone.
Thirty minutes into the class, TJ got bored. That's what you get from learning what has already been taught.
He scanned the class and found them listening and taking notes.
He turned to his side to see Chimdi, who too, was paying attention.
Jiki was at the back and he couldn't turn to chat with him.
He was bored.
He tapped Chimdi, who totally ignored him. That got him smiling.
He tapped her again and she acted as if he didn't touch her.
He smiled. This will be fun.
TJ searched for an agent of distraction and his eyes landed on her phone.
With a wicked grin on his face, he reached for it. He felt a hand slap his hands away. He looked up to meet Chimdi's glaring stare.
"What?" She asked, totally annoyed.
"I didn't know you were serious student." Placing his jaw on his palm, he blinked rapidly at her.
Chimdi suppressed an annoyed hiss. She felt like strangling him.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Pretty girls don't usually pay attention." He teased.
Chimdi rolled her eyes. "Pretty girls don't usually pay attention." She mimicked, making him snicker.
Before realizing the words he'd just uttered minutes ago.
She felt heat flood her cheeks, and quickly looked away. Her heart was doing strange things again. Not again.
She cleared her throat and forced her attention to the board.
TJ stared at Chimdi, a smile tugging at his lips. Proud of his accomplishment as she faced the board, not sparing him any glance.
Corp Ofose turned after scribbling on the board and TJ immediately faced the board. When the teacher faced the board again, he directed his gaze back to Chimdi.
This time, she was really paying attention. She was drawing a replica of the diagram of a drone their teacher drew on the board, and she was good.
He felt something slide across his desk and he reached for it.
It was a paper plane. He knew only one person who made use of paper planes in class.
He opened the letter which read:
When you're done
staring at Chimdi, reply me.
He looked confused.
He looked back and saw Jiki shaking his head and gesturing at the floor.
He looked down and saw another paper plane on the floor. He picked it up and unfolded it.
Help me with your
Cinematography note before we leave
the class.
He turned back and nodded at Jiki, before writing down his response at the back and folding back the paper.
"Kodiri, when you are done with the love letter, the class would love to hear from you." Came their teacher's amused voice, causing everyone to laugh, as they directed their attention from the board to him.
Love letter?
"But sir-"
"Stand up and come with the letter." Corp Ofose interrupted.
TJ sighed, embarrassment washing his entire body as the teacher said. "Don't be shy, we want to know too. Don't we all?" He asked his students who replied him with twice as much enthusiasm.
TJ rolled his eyes at his classmates sheer silliness, before standing up.
They wanted a love letter, they were going to get one.
--